The blockchain won’t just change banking – it could help you buy your house July 21, 2015 There’s been a lot of attention focused on Bitcoin in recent years but arguably the most intriguing aspect of this crypto currency is the technology that underpins it – the blockchain. The blockchain facilitates Bitcoin and works by sequentially ordering blocks of transactions into a chain which is distributed to and can be viewed [...]
PayPal valued at just under $50bn as it soars past EBay on Nasdaq July 21, 2015 After its first day back as an independent company, PayPal is valued just under $50bn (£34bn). Read more: EBay revenue jumps 7pc as PayPal spinoff draws near The online payments company's share price closed up 5.43 per cent on its first day of trading after splitting from parent eBay, after initially soaring 11 per cent in [...]
Is Apple planning an iCar? Tim Cook hires Chrysler executive Doug Betts as it eyes Tesla, Google and Uber over electric cars July 21, 2015 Not content with taking over our ears (Apple Music) and wrists (Apple Watch) this year, Apple may now have its sights set on taking over our roads. Tim Cook has hired the an executive from Chrysler, fueling speculation that there may be an iCar coming down the road. Doug Betts, a former senior vice president [...]
Nasa’s extraordinarily detailed photo reveals what Earth looks like from a million miles away July 21, 2015 For the first time ever, humans can see what the entire sunlit side of the Earth looks like from a million miles away, and the quality is staggering. This morning, Nasa released a photo taken by a camera attached to its Deep Space Climate Observatory (DSCOVR) satellite, which was sent up into space in [...]
Can’t stop eating? You may have a binge-eating gene July 21, 2015 It's not just greed that keeps some people heading for the snack cupboard – a certain gene could play a major role in our over-indulgence, according to researchers at University College London. Read more: Why diet is more important than exercise when you're trying to lose weight The gene, found at the FTO gene [...]
Queue jump app Charity Wait lets you skip the queue if you donate to charity July 20, 2015 Waiting in a never-ending queue for a popular restaurant, it might feel tempting to slip the waiter some cash in return for a table. But queuing has just got a little smarter. Now you can queue-jump guilt-free, with an app that lets you donate money to a chosen charity – in exchange for being seated [...]
Russian billionaire Yuri Milner promises $100m to search for alien life July 20, 2015 Venture capitalist investor slash Russian billionaire Yuri Milner has got into the race to find alien life, pledging $100m (£64.3) of his own money to help answer the question of whether we are alone in the cosmos. In a philanthropic(ish) effort, the internet entrepreneur announced through a live webcast at The Royal Society in London that [...]
Scientists have identified a sixth taste, and it could be the reason we become fat July 20, 2015 Carrying a few extra pounds? Blame oleogustus – which scientists reckon is the "taste of fat", according to a new study in the journal Chemical Senses. In fact, along with sweet, salty, bitter, sour and savoury, the study suggests oleogustus should be factored in as a key part of the human taste palate. Read more: Fat [...]
Your smartphone knows when you’re depressed – tracking GPS and usage data can predict depression with 87 per cent accuracy July 19, 2015 You may be able to fake a smile, but you can’t hide your true feelings from your mobile phone. It may feel as though our phones know everything about us. Now it seems they can even tell when we’re feeling blue, according to a new study from Northwestern University. Researchers exploring whether a person’s mobile [...]
These are the most collaborative companies working on research with universities in the UK July 19, 2015 Pharmaceutical and manufacturing companies are leading the way when it comes to collaborating on research projects with UK universities, leaving technology businesses lagging. GSK is the most collaborative business in the UK, working on more than 150 projects, followed by Rolls-Royce on just over 110 and Pfizer on more than 100, based on analysis of [...]